Differential pathogenicity of two different recombinant PVYNTN isolates in Physalis floridana is likely determined by the coat protein gene

Abstract

Abstract A previous study has identified two types of recombinant variants of Potato virus Y strain NTN (PVYNTN) in China and sequenced the complete genome of the variant PVYNTN-HN2. In this study, the complete genome of isolate PVYNTN-HN1 was fully sequenced and analyzed. The most striking difference between the two variants was the location of recombinant joint three (RJ3). In PVYNTN-HN1, like other typical European-PVYNTN isolates such as PVYNTN-Hun, the RJ3 was located at nucleotide (nt) 9183, namely the 3' proximal end of the CP gene (nt. 8571-9371), thus leading to most (the first 613 nucleotides from the 5' proximal end) of the CP gene (801 bp) with a PVYN origin and PVYN-serotype; whereas in contrast, the RJ3 in PVYNTN-HN2 was located at nt 8572, consequently leading to a CP gene of PVYO origin and PVYO-serotype. The varied genome composition among PVYO, PVYN, PVYN:O, PVYNTN-HN1 and PVYNTN-HN2 made them useful for the investigation of possible roles of gene segment(s) in symptom formation on host plants. When Physalis floridana plants were infected with different PVY isolates, two types of symptoms were induced. PVYN and PVYNTN-HN1 induced mild symptoms (mainly mild mottling) whereas PVYO, PVYN:O and PVYNTN-HN2 induced serve symptoms including leaf and stem necrosis, leaf-drop and stunting. These results, together with a previous study using artificial PVY chimeras, demonstrate that the CP gene, especially the 5' proximal segment (nt 8572-9183), and/or CP likely determine the pathogenicity of PVY in P. floridana.